Classrooms with teachers, clinics with nurses, running taps and working toilets: these basic public services are key to ending global poverty, according to a new report from Oxfam and WaterAid. And, the agencies say, only governments are in a position to deliver them on the scale needed to transform the lives of millions living in poverty.
The report, "In the Public Interest," calls on developing country governments to devote a greater proportion of their budgets to building these vital services for their citizens – and for rich countries to support their plans with increased, long-term aid commitment.
“Building up public services in poor countries is key to making poverty history,” said Oxfam’s Bernice Romero, Advocacy and Campaigns Director. “What greater investment could there be than paying for the training and salaries of teachers and health workers, or developing national water and sanitation systems?”
Rich countries and the World Bank come under fire for undermining governments’ ability to deliver public services by pushing inappropriate private sector projects in water provision and health. The report acknowledges that the private sector has a role to play, along with charities and faith groups, but argues they cannot provide services on the necessary scale, geared to the needs of all citizens, including women and girls, minorities and the very poorest.
See full Press Release.
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